


Over the Horizon

by r_grayjoy



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling, Pet Shop of Horrors
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-13
Updated: 2010-10-13
Packaged: 2017-10-12 18:48:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/127930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r_grayjoy/pseuds/r_grayjoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus is restless after the war, and he sets out in search of the cause.  The end of the road turns out to be a the mysterious Count D's pet shop and an adversary from the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Over the Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> Written for pimp_my_3some in June 2007.

**Over the Horizon**

_It's not here._

Ignoring the bustling figures that swept past him, Severus surveyed the rows of quaint, densely packed buildings with their garish signs and peculiar script. Dark clouds rapidly gathered overhead, and the scent of impending rain rose up from the pavement and hung heavily in the air. This city was much like the last, and the one before it, but with some nuances, of course. Every town possessed a different sort of pulse, a unique underlying cadence, and Severus had learned to hear the magical hum beneath the Muggle noise.

Nearly two years had passed since the war had come to an end and Severus had found himself, against all odds, both alive and exonerated. For the first time in his adult life he was wholly unfettered by the poor choices made in his youth and free to shape his own future. He should have been content. Happy, even. Yet as the rest of the wizarding world rebuilt and healed, Severus was plagued by a persistent sense of restlessness.

Initially he ignored it, telling himself that he was simply unaccustomed to life without constant demands from petulant adolescents, meddlesome Headmasters, and megalomaniacal Dark Lords. With each passing day, however, the pull became more insistent, distracting his thoughts and robbing him of sleep. Although he was a man of considerable will, Severus at last surrendered to the silent call, setting out in search of some nameless, elusive thing that was always just over the horizon.

For thirteen months Severus had been traveling, and in that time he had carefully avoided examining his reasons or his sanity too closely. As he drew steadily nearer to his goal, he spent less time in each city. He had been in this one a mere three days. Lifting the hood of his cloak against the first spattered drops of rain, Severus made his way through the throng of bodies and back to his motel room, prepared to pack his trunk and seek out the next Portkey.

 _It's not here. But it's close._

* * * * *

Severus strode purposefully though the cramped and busy city to which the Portkey had carried him. It was another in a long string of ordinary Muggle towns, perhaps even more worn and tarnished than many. There was something here, however; something insubstantial and indescribable, yet Severus could taste it on the air in the way that one can taste the salt of the sea when land's end is near.

Passing beneath a large, ornate archway painted in red and blue and gold, he entered an open-air market. Focused intently on his objective, Severus ignored the calls of vendors hawking fresh fish and exotic vegetables and quickened his pace. The open stalls gave way to a line of shops, and abruptly he sensed it: the ebb and flow of magic emanating strongly from an unassuming building wedged between a restaurant and a florist. The sign on the storefront merely read 'Count D'. _Not so Muggle, then, after all._

As he studied the shop's façade, Severus breathed deeply and forced the pounding of his heart to slow. The culmination of more than a year's worth of searching lay inside, and he hadn't the slightest idea what he should expect. Loosening his wand in his sleeve, he lifted one faintly trembling hand and pushed the front door open.

Standing in the entryway, Severus allowed his eyes to adjust to the more subdued lighting inside the shop, and the tangy-sweet smell of incense wafted up to greet him. The interior of the building was unlike any store Severus had ever seen. Every inch of the place was bedecked with sheer screens and richly colored drapes. Ornate lanterns hung from the ceiling, and wire cages on elegant stands were scattered about the room. Small sets of shining eyes peered out at Severus from beneath the lush furnishings, and a pair of cats lounging on a wicker chair studied him unabashedly. The thrum of magic here was simultaneously familiar and foreign, leaving Severus feeling vaguely disoriented.

"Welcome to Count D's pet shop. Please, come inside."

Severus snapped his head around in time to see a slender figure step out from behind a painted screen. At first glance, Severus thought the delicate young man who had spoken was dressed in wizard's robes. He quickly saw that this was not the case, although his manner of dress was far from typical Muggle attire. "You would be Count D, then, I take it?" Severus asked, warily stepping into the shop and allowing the door to swing shut behind him.

"No. My grandfather was the last Count in the family."

Arching an eyebrow, Severus asked, "And what does that make you?"

"Thirsty," the younger D evaded, lips quirking up into an elusive smile. "You have excellent timing, Professor. I was just about to have tea. Would you care to join me?"

The man was already walking away, leaving Severus with little choice but to follow if he wished to continue the conversation. "I am a professor no more," he said as he trailed along after D, overcome with a peculiar sense that he was not entirely in control of his own actions.

"My apologies. You still carry the air of authority about you," D remarked, and Severus wasn't certain whether he was being complimented or mocked.

Rounding a partition adorned with a peacock, they came to a low table laden with a tea set and all manner of sweets. Again Severus lifted a brow, but D only invited him to sit and began serving the tea. Feeling vaguely as though he were watching the scene unfolding from outside of himself, Severus took a seat on the plush settee and accepted the proffered tea cup. Sipping at the steaming liquid, he found himself wondering whether D had known that Severus liked his tea sweet, or if D always prepared it this way. Only then did it occur to him that D might be a Legilimens, and Severus belatedly bolstered his mental shields.

"So you run a pet shop. You sell… exotic pets here? Familiars?" Severus asked, seeking confirmation that this man was no Muggle.

"In a manner of speaking." D displayed another of his small, enigmatic smiles, and Severus had a sudden sense of déjà vu. The tea, the sweets, the mischievous smile behind which a great deal was surely hidden, the manner in which the man got down to matters in his own time, on his own terms… Oh, yes, Severus had been in this situation before. There was no physical resemblance, but nonetheless, D reminded Severus very much of a young Albus Dumbledore. Although Severus was now beginning to suspect that D was not so young as he had first assumed.

"You remind me a great deal of someone I used to know," Severus remarked dryly.

Looking up from his tea and holding Severus' gaze through a fall of fine, dark hair, D replied, "Funny; the other gentleman told me something similar."

A thrill of apprehension and excitement ran through Severus at D's expression and words. "The other gentleman… ?" he asked nonchalantly, sipping his tea with an outward appearance of calm that masked his inner agitation.

"Yes. We've been anticipating your arrival for quite some time."

Severus' eyes narrowed, and his gaze remained fixed on D as he set his tea cup aside. There were many questions that he could ask in response to D's cryptic statement, but he was no longer inclined to play the game by D's rules. Feeling the comforting weight of his wand in his sleeve, Severus twitched his fingers reflexively. "Indeed," he said tersely.

The glare that had once left Death Eaters quaking in their boots seemed to have no effect on D. "Come, Professor," he said, his eyes flashing with amusement and something indecipherable. "It's not as though you came into the shop by chance. You were called here. It would be foolish to pretend as though you haven't been searching for us or that we haven't felt you drawing nearer. After all, you _do_ wish to learn what lies at the end of your quest, do you not?"

D was right, damn him. As much as Severus might not like his footing at present, he hadn't journeyed this far simply to turn back now. He would see this through to the end, as D seemed well aware. He only hoped that 'the end' would not turn out to be sticky, grisly, or otherwise exceptionally unpleasant for himself.

Severus curtly nodded his acceptance, and he and D rose in unison. "What you seek is this way," D said, then led Severus through an elaborately carved door.

The back of the shop seemed to be an endless maze of corridors. _Wizardspace_ , Severus thought. It was hardly surprising, considering the strong aura of magic he'd felt surrounding the place. As they walked, however, Severus quickly became disoriented and hopelessly lost. Several times he thought he saw other people out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head, there were only animals. _Animagi? Or a mere trick of the lighting?_ Severus allowed his wand to fall lightly into his palm.

As they walked, D spoke. "You were correct in assuming that many of the animals in this shop are unusual. Some are very rare, while others still are the last of their kind. They are all unique in their own way, and each comes with its own terms." Glancing back over his shoulder at Severus, he added softly, "The master may believe he has chosen his pet, but this is not wholly the case. The choice of companions must be mutual." D might have said more, but Severus couldn't be certain.

Some time later -- minutes? hours? Severus had lost track of the passage of time -- they passed through another doorway and came to a halt. The room they had entered was similar to the rest of the place, furnished in plush settees, heaped with pillows, adorned with embroidered curtains, yet Severus knew instinctively that this room held something that the others did not. "What now?" he tried to ask, but his voice came out as little more than a whisper around his pulse beating in his throat.

Severus had looked to D for an answer, but a flurry of movement elsewhere in the room made Severus spin on his heel and raise his wand. Out from behind a curtain bounded a large, black dog. The beast stopped a few feet in front of Severus and barked once, his tail wagging so forcefully that it thumped the settee with each pass. Severus felt the earth lurch beneath his feet, and he breathed, "It can't be…"

The air around the dog shimmered, Severus blinked, and where a canine had been a moment before now stood Sirius Black in all his shaggy, arrogant glory. Grinning broadly, Black gave Severus an appraising look and remarked, "So, D, he finally made it. Guess you were right when you said he was getting close."

" _You_ ," Severus managed to choke out. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Throwing his head back, Black gave a bark of jubilant laughter. "That's a funny thing about death, Snape. It's not quite as final as many would have you believe."

Severus went from shocked to livid in the span of a heartbeat. Every time he thought he was rid of Black, the infuriating man came back to torment him. Leave it to the wastrel to not stay dead as he should. Severus' wand, still trained on Black, shook slightly in his hand. "What are you playing at, Black? What's going on here? Explain this!" he spat.

"Oh, Snape," Black said, still chuckling, and appearing not the least bit concerned that Severus' wand was leveled at his chest. "I knew you'd make it here. You're a stubborn bastard, but you're also entirely too curious for your own good. And you were the most determined and unrelenting of us all, weren't you?" Black cocked his head to the side and gave Severus a peculiar look, as though he were somehow seeing Severus for the first time.

"You're responsible for this, then. For luring me here." A statement, not a question. An irrational part of Severus' mind told him that he should have known, but of course there was no way he could have predicted this.

With a careless shrug, Black replied, "It was the magic of this place, really."

"Why? What do you _want_ with me, damn it?" Beneath his ire, Severus felt his confusion and apprehension growing, and he struggled to clear his jumbled thoughts, to remain in control.

Black took two steps forward, coming to a stop just before the tip of Severus' wand. "See, that's another thing about death. It tends to put things in perspective."

"Do _not_ toy with me, Black," Severus warned, his voice wavering faintly.

Slowly, Black lifted his hand and placed it over Severus' outstretched wrist, then gently pushed Severus' wand away. Black took another step forward, and suddenly he was near enough to touch, near enough that Severus could feel the heat, the magic radiating from him, confusing his senses further. "I was wrong about… well, about a lot of things, really," Black began, flashing a wry smile. "About you. I… You see… Oh, hell. I never was good at this sort of thing."

At that, Black abruptly leaned forward and closed the last of the distance between them. It took a moment for Severus' mind to process what was happening, because it was simply too ludicrous to be believed. Sirius Black was kissing -- _kissing!_ \-- him.

Severus gasped and attempted to back away, but slender fingers on his shoulders held him fast. He had nearly forgotten about the third man in the room, but D now stood at Severus' back, both startling and anchoring him. D's grip on Severus' shoulders tightened, and his calm voice drifted to Severus' ear: "Let him prove his sincerity."

As D's words washed over him, Severus relaxed into the kiss. His eyes slid shut, and Black quickly darted the tip of his tongue out to brush over Severus' mouth, seeking entry. Severus parted his lips and brought one hand up to grasp Black's robes. The kiss went on, and Severus was aware of D's fingers twining in his hair, the scent of incense filling the air, the sound of a low moan that he dimly realized must have come from himself.

Black's motions became more demanding, needful. Sliding an arm around Severus' waist, he pressed their bodies together, and Severus inhaled sharply at the tell-tale hardness that dug into his hip. At the realisation that Black wanted this, wanted _him_ , something clicked inside Severus, and he began returning Black's attentions in earnest.

Severus surged forward, forcing Black to take a few steps back to avoid overbalancing, and sucked Black's tongue into his mouth. They struggled against each other, each giving as good as they got, hands holding faces steady, mouths devouring, bodies grinding. Neither gained the upper hand for more than an instant, and at last they broke apart, panting for breath, fists bunched in disheveled robes.

As he looked at Black's face, so familiar, so _close_ , blind panic rose up within Severus. Before he could react, however, D was there again, a calming influence standing at his shoulder. D rested a hand on Severus' arm, but looked to Black as he said, "Remember what it is you wanted."

Nodding once, Black loosed his grip on Severus' robes and brought his hands up to cup Severus' face. He leaned in once more, but this time the press of lips was the barest of brushes, a stark contrast to the frenzied contest taking place moments before. Head swimming, Severus gave in to the contact, to the magic that hummed through him. Then Black was no longer there, no longer touching him. Severus blinked his eyes open in time to see D carefully lifting the robes from Black's shoulders. Black was entirely nude, and although war and imprisonment and time had taken their toll, he was handsome still, lean and graceful, his erection jutting out proudly before him.

A pang of desire reverberated within Severus as the other men returned their attention to him. Black buried his face in the crook of Severus' neck and sucked at the tender flesh there while D reached for the fastenings of Severus' robes. Severus dropped his head back with a sigh, and hands were on him, everywhere, stripping away the layers of his clothing, smoothing over his heated flesh, until he stood fully bared. A vigilant part of his mind railed at the exposure of his imperfect body, but the greater part of him only wanted to press up against Black and discover what he would feel like with no fabric separating them.

Black darted his eyes from Severus to D and back again. Severus understood what Black had in mind, and he gave the slightest of nods, a silent agreement. Snaking one arm out to wrap around D's waist, Black swept the slight man into a fervent kiss. When Black pulled back some moments later, D appeared stunned, his cheeks flushed. Putting his hands up between Black and himself, he protested a bit breathlessly, "This is not about me."

"We wouldn't be here were it not for you. You're a part of this," Black said.

D turned to Severus, studying him, and his painted lips quirked up mischievously. "Very well," he said, and extended a hand.

Severus moved forward and somehow found himself pressed up against D, D's hand on his cheek, D's tongue skimming lightly over his lips. Whereas kissing Black had been all fire and smoke, D tasted like cool earth and growing things and flowers, Severus thought absurdly. As one, he and Black reached for the buttons and ties of D's clothing, carefully stripping the ornate garments away until D was clad only in a pair of silken trousers, the sheer fabric of which did nothing to disguise his obvious arousal.

D was beautiful, his skin pale and unmarred, his form flawless. Severus and Black kissed, licked, touched D anywhere they could reach, and D's eyes fluttered shut, his breath coming in ragged gasps. They frotted against D unabashedly, bringing their hands down to stroke D's hardness through the fine fabric of his trousers until D shuddered and stiffened in their arms and at last said, "Enough."

Releasing D, Severus met Black's gaze, and his heart raced at the undiluted desire that burned there. In an instant, Black's mouth and hands were on him again, and Severus' knees buckled. He was faintly aware of Black and D laying him down on a soft nest of cushions on the floor as the last of his rationality left him.

D's fingers threaded through Severus' hair, his long nails scraping lightly over Severus' scalp. Murmured words of comfort and encouragement reached Severus' ears as Black began to explore his body, memorizing him with hands and lips in a manner that seemed almost reverent. As Black paused to pinch a nipple, run his tongue over the inside of an elbow, graze his teeth over a hip, Severus could do little but gasp and pant and writhe.

No one had ever bestowed such attentions upon Severus before, and it was too intense, too much. Snaking one hand down automatically, he reached for his neglected cock, needing to abate the pressure. He was stopped short by strong fingers encircling his wrist. D brought both of Severus' hands up over his head and pressed them to the floor, and although Severus made a small, frustrated noise and attempted to pull away, D held him tight. _Not nearly so delicate as he appears,_ Severus realised, feeling the strength in D's grip. Then Black closed his own hand over Severus' shaft, and Severus thought no more of D for the time being.

"God, Snape. I want…" Black began. He seemed unable to say what it was he wanted, and Severus himself was beyond responding with anything more than an incoherent groan. Apparently taking that as acceptance enough, Black quickly moved to straddle Severus' hips.

There was motion, something warm and slick being spread over his cock, the smell of incense and flowers, burning, burning. A moment of stillness, then Black rose up on his knees, positioned himself, and slid down smoothly, engulfing Severus within him. Severus arched his back and bit his lip hard, and found himself looking up into D's face. Sweat beaded on D's brow, but his smile was serene, beatific. "Look at him," D said.

Severus did as instructed, and what he saw caused his breath to catch. Black hung above him, completely still, his eyes shut and his handsome features caught in an expression of euphoria. D released Severus' hands as Black began to move. Black rocked up and back, slowly at first, wrenching small sounds from Severus that he couldn't seem to suppress. As Black gained speed, Severus was helpless to do anything save grasp Black's hips tightly and thrust up in counterpoint. It was urgent, primal, and through it all were D's hands on Severus' shoulders, and Black suspended above him, wild, dark hair swinging in rhythm, eyes bright with concentration and need.

"Ah! Severus…" Black pleaded, and Severus had just enough presence of mind remaining to reach down and take Black's prick in hand. It only required a few quick tugs before Black cried out harshly, and hot semen flowed over Severus' fist and spattered his stomach. With a final shuddering moan, Black collapsed across Severus' chest and lay still.

As he ran his hands lightly over the sweat-damp skin of Black's back, Severus' cock throbbed in distress. He had been so close as well, and if Black had just _kept going_ a little longer..! Well, it only figured that as a lover Black would be amazing, passionate, maddening, selfish…

D's voice cut through Severus' thoughts. "Sirius. You must release him eventually."

Raising himself up on his hands, Black gave a small, derisive huff. "If you love something, set it free?" he asked, his tone faintly sardonic.

"If it comes back to you, it is yours," D replied.

"And if it doesn't?"

D's only response was another elusive smile.

Severus shifted uncomfortably, disgruntled at the seemingly incongruous conversation taking place above him. Before he could remark upon it, however, a look of intense determination settled onto Black's features. "Right, then," Black said, and began moving once more.

Black moved slowly, far too slowly, and Severus thought he might go insane, if he wasn't already there. Choked noises found their way through Severus' clenched teeth, and Severus pulled at Black's hips, urging him to pick up the pace. He looked up at Black, and caught him staring back intently. "Remember this," Black said fiercely, then leaned forward and began driving himself onto Severus for all he was worth. Severus wrapped his arms around Black and held onto him for dear life, silently begging him _don't stop now, oh god, just don't stop!_ Black bit down on Severus' shoulder, and with one final thrust, Severus was coming, and coming, spilling himself until his vision went dark.

 

Severus came to consciousness gradually, initially feeling somewhat confused as to his surroundings. That was a predictable result of all the traveling he had been doing over the past months, really. Blinking his eyes open, he found that he was in yet another run-of-the-mill motel room. A weak _Lumos_ and a glance at the wind-up clock on the nightstand revealed the time to be just after three in the morning. All was as it should be, Severus supposed. He was terribly warm, however, and as he threw the covers back, he realised that his skin was sticky with sweat and spend.

Memory flooded in. The pet shop in the run-down city, D, _Black_ … all a dream? It had seemed so vivid. With a heavy sigh, Severus swung his bare feet over the side of the bed, stood, and shuffled to the motel room's vanity area. He flipped on the harsh, fluorescent light and turned on the tap. Cupping his hands in the basin, he watched for several moments as the cool water flowed over his fingers, then brought his hands up to his face. As he reached for a dry flannel, he looked up at his reflection in the cracked mirror -- and froze.

There, on his shoulder, was an unmistakable half-circle of tiny, red marks left by a perfect row of teeth.

* * * * *

Standing on the hilltop, robes rippling in the faint breeze, Severus looked down at the town sprawled out in the valley. What he sought wasn't here, but it was close. So very close. The sun peeked over the horizon as Severus watched, lighting up the sky in majestic orange and gold.

He still had a little more than an hour before his Portkey was scheduled to activate, but Severus wasn't impatient. Feeling a familiar pull at his being, and he sent back a gentle tug along the invisible line. _I understand_ , he said silently, face turned to the rising sun. _I know what it is that I seek, I know where you wait, I know how to find you. And I'm coming._


End file.
